Many are either in the midst or soon to be in the middle of spring calving. Hopefully your cows have been well prepared for the changes that face cows entering lactation. While it can sometimes be a mindless exercise in repeating the same things year after year, there are a couple of changes that may have taken place within your herd that has crept up on you over the years and negatively impacted reproductive performance and overall profitability.
Top 10 reasons to use a self-fed protein supplement in the spring
A couple years ago, I wrote a blog about the top 10 reasons to use a self-fed protein supplement in the Fall. Today, I will tackle 10 reasons you should consider using a self-fed protein supplement in the Spring.
Feeding for hoof health
Late winter/early spring is usually a time of muddy sloppy conditions, which can spell trouble for hooves. From cracked hooves to foot rot, poor hoof health takes a toll on your livestock, no matter what the species. Wet, sloppy conditions just exacerbate hoof problems, softening them up, making them more susceptible to injury and microbial entry. The best way to combat poor hoof health is to grow a strong, hard hoof in the first place.
Keeping cows longer with CRYSTALYX
It’s not often talked about but is understood that Cows, like equipment do depreciate. Like the old John Deere 3010 tractor that’s still running, there’s probably a few very old cows still in the herd.
Supplement by numbers
Winter has made its presence known across the nation; leaving some wondering what part of the US they are in and others chuckling at the first group as they add another layer of clothing.
Getting a return on investment: What self-fed supplements provide
We have entered into the new year and preparing for tax season is one item we will be doing. The questions we often ask is, “Will I get a return?” That same question is often in the back of our mind when we purchase supplements for the cow herd.
Self-fed supplement guidelines for beef cow-herds during cold weather
There have been bouts of cold weather episodes this winter ranging from short, tolerable conditions to extreme almost unbearable extended cold with little relief. We still have several months where temperatures can influence cow herd condition and it is extremely important to successfully manage through them, especially for spring calving cow herds.
Innovations are not just nice, they are necessary
A couple of years ago, I posed the following question: What do BioBarrels®, 48 row corn planters, GPS and net wrap have in common? They all allow one person to do much more than you could, 10 or 20 years ago.
Surviving the vitamin crisis
Most of you have probably walked into your local feed store or glanced at your current price list and gotten a shock at how much prices have shot up in the last few months. A global vitamin shortage (particularly vitamin A) has set the feed industry on edge. This shortage is expected to continue well into 2018.
Have you heard about vitamins lately?
Has anyone noticed the increased cost of supplements and manufactured feeds lately? What's the reason? Vitamin costs. In beef cattle nutrition, it seems a lot of attention is given and information is reported, regarding the importance of nutrients like protein, macro and trace minerals, fats and carbohydrates (starch and sugar).
